Abstract : The major purpose of this research is to investigate how interorganisational citizenship behaviour (ICB) influences product innovation in sport clusters. This informs the understanding of the source, ownership, control, and diffusion of innovation in interorganisational relationships. Second, we map out relationships and interactions between industry sectors and their organisations in specific sport related clusters. This creates a better understanding of cluster benefits and the interorganisational relationships and behaviour that underpin them. Third, we provide insights with regards to industry restructuring in the context of sport organisations. This permits an assessment of the functioning and the long-term sustainability of sport cluster as a delivery system for new sport products and sport disciplines.
Overall, this research seeks to increase awareness and understanding of clusters in order to disclose potential benefits of cluster with regards to innovation. This is expected to lead to a higher overall innovativeness and value creation within a cluster as a whole, and for individual cluster organisations. The authors’ intention is furthermore to interpret the results in a wider context, such as other sport or consumer goods markets with similar characteristics, and locations with similar conditions.